Appearance of the Spirit

Question - What
do you mean by the Spirit.

Answer The Spirit that spoke to the
prophets in former day - and I was greatly astonished, and for two years
prayed continually, whenever my duty would permit - and then
again I had the same revelation, which fully confirmed me in the
impression that I was ordained for some great purpose in the hands of
the Almighty. Several years rolled round, in which many events
occurred to strengthen me in this my belief. At this time I reverted in
my mind to the remarks made of me in my childhood, and the things
that had been shewn me - and as it had been said of me in my
childhood by those by whom I had been taught to pray, both white and
black, and in whom I had the greatest confidence, that I had too
much sense to be raised, and if I was I would never be of any use
to any one as a slave. Now finding I had arrived to man's estate,
and was a slave, and these revelations being made known to me, I
began to direct my attention to this great object, to fulfil the
purpose for which, by this time, I felt assured I was intended- Knowing
the influence I had obtained over the minds of my fellow servants,
(not by the means of conjuring and such like tricks - for to them I
always spoke of such things with contempt) but by the communion
of the Spirit whose revelations I often communicated to them, and
they believed and said my wisdom came from God. I now began to
prepare them for my purpose, by telling them something was about
to happen that would terminate in fulfilling the great promise that
had been made to me - About this tame I was placed under an
overseer, from whom I ran away - and after remaining in the woods
thirty days, I returned, to the astonishment of the negroes on the
plantation, who thought I had made my escape to some other part
of the country, as my father had done before. But the reason of my
return was, that the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes
directed to the things of this world, and not to the kingdom of
Heaven, and that I should return to the service of my earthly master
-"For he who knoweth his Master's will, and doeth it not, shall be
beaten with many stripes, and thus have I chastened you." And the
negroes found fault, and murmured against me, saying that if they
had my sense they would not serve any master in the world. And
about this time I had a vision - and I saw white spirits and black
spirits engaged in battle, and the sun was darkened - the thunder
rolled in the Heavens, and blood flowed in streams - and I heard a
voice saying, "Such is your luck, such you are called to see, and let
it come rough or smooth, you must surely bear it." I now withdrew
myself as much as my situation would permit, from the intercourse
of my fellow servants, for the avowed purpose of serving the Spirit
more fully - and it appeared to me, and reminded me of the things it
had already shown me, and that it would then reveal to me the
knowledge of the elements, the revolution of the planets, the
operation of tides, and changes of the seasons. After this revelation in the
year 1825, and the knowledge of the elements being made known to
me, I sought more than ever to obtain true holiness before the great
day of judgment should appear, and then I began to receive the true
knowledge of faith. And from the first steps of righteousness until the
last, was I made perfect; and the Holy Ghost was with me, and
said "Behold me as I stand in the Heavens" - and I looked and
saw the forms of men in different attitude - and there were lights
in the sky to which the children of darkness gave other names than
what they really were - for they were the lights of the Saviour's
hands, stretched forth from east to west, even as they were extended
on the cross on Calvary for the redemption of sinners. And I
wondered greatly at these miracles, and prayed to be informed of a
certainty of the meaning thereof - and shortly afterwards, while
labouring in the field, I discovered drops of blood on the corn, as though it
were dew from heaven - and I communicated it to many, both white
and black, in the neighbourhood - and I then found on the leaves in
the woods hieroglyphic characters and numbers, with the forms of
men in different attitudes, portrayed in blood, and representing the
figures I had seen before in the heavens. - And now the Holy Ghost
had revealed itself to me, and made plain the miracles it had
shown me - For as the blood of Christ had been shed on this earth,
and had ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was
now returning to earth again in the form of dew - and as the leaves
on the trees bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the
heavens, it was plain to me that the Saviour was about to lay down
the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and the great day of
judgement was at hand. - About this time, I told these things to a
white man, (Etheldred T. Brantley) on whom it had a wonderful
effect - and he ceased from his wickedness, and was attacked
immediately with a cutaneous eruption, and blood oozed from the pores
of his skin, and after praying and fasting nine days, he was healed,
and the Spirit appeared to me again, and said, as the Saviour had
been baptised, so should we be also - and when the white people
would not let us be baptised by the church, we went down into the
water together, in the sight of many who reviled us, and were
baptised by the Spirit

After this I rejoiced greatly, and gave thanks
to God. And on the 12th of May, 1828, I heard a loud noise in the
heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the
Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne
for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against
the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching, when the first should
be last and the last should be first.